Exodus 27:20 “Command the Israelites to bring you clear oil of pressed olives for the light so that the lamps may be kept burning.”
My husband loves to build a fire in the fireplace most evenings in the fall and winter. The heat and light are comforting, but I think it is also the process of keeping the fire going that he enjoys. Several times this week, though, despite the fact that he’s done what he always has, his efforts have resulted in frustration. The fire doesn’t catch. It hisses and sputters and goes out.
Exodus 27:21a “In the tent of meeting, outside the curtain that shields the ark of the covenant law, Aaron and his sons are to keep the lamps burning before the LORD from evening till morning.”
It occurred to me this morning that that floundering fire—hissing and sputtering, even though everything is as it should be for a roaring fire—that feels like such an accurate metaphor for my current spiritual state. I don’t know why, and it is incredibly frustrating.
Exodus 27:21b “This is to be a lasting ordinance among the Israelites for the generations to come.”
Lord, Thank You for this day, for this scripture, for this clarity. Something is off on my end. The fire is laid correctly, but it won’t catch, won’t burn properly, and I don’t like it, but I’m not sure how to fix it. Thank You for leading me to this truth. Lead me through it and draw me closer to You. Help me to burn brightly for You instead of hissing and spitting in this state of frustration. Amen.
John 1:5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.
Have a blessed day.
My faith, my life, my teaching–it's all a work in progress.